Huanzhu Time Travel: Yan Luo's Unbreakable Love in the Yong Dynasty

Outside the carriage, the shouts of battle grew increasingly fierce. Sensing something amiss, the men in black surrounded the carriage where Xiao Yanzi was. Xiao Yanzi gripped her dagger tightly, her heart pounding, yet her eyes remained resolute. She took a deep breath, abruptly lifted the carriage curtain, and leaped down, her movements as swift as a black shooting star in the night sky. The instant she landed, she quickly scanned her surroundings. She saw Fucha Fuheng locked in fierce combat with several men in black, his longsword flashing coldly, but the enemies kept coming, and the situation grew increasingly dire.

"Fu Heng, over here!" Xiao Yanzi shouted, her dagger flashing coldly in the sunlight as she thrust it straight at the approaching man in black. The man in black, seeing this, quickly raised his blade to parry, the clanging of metal echoing through the air. While fighting the man in black, Xiao Yanzi kept a close watch on her surroundings, trying to find a way to break through.

Upon hearing the shouts, Fucha Fuheng fought off the enemies in front of him and moved towards Xiao Yanzi. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" he asked, panting heavily. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his hair was a little disheveled, but his usual heroic spirit remained undiminished.

"I'm fine, but there are too many of them. We need to find a way to break through," Xiao Yanzi said, frowning, her eyes filled with anxiety. At this moment, they were surrounded by men in black, and their situation was extremely precarious.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached. Little Swallow's heart leaped with joy, thinking reinforcements had arrived, but her expression changed slightly upon seeing who it was. Hong Zhou rode a tall, imposing horse, followed by a troop of men, their expressions hurried. "Little Swallow, I've come to help you!" Hong Zhou shouted, his voice ringing out across the battlefield.

"Hongzhou, what brings you here?" Xiaoyanzi was both surprised and delighted. She kept wielding her dagger and drove away yet another man in black.

Hongzhou dismounted, drew his sword, and joined the battle. "I heard you went out of the city to investigate the mysterious goods, and I was worried, so I came." As he spoke, he fought alongside Xiaoyanzi and Fucha Fuheng. The three of them worked together seamlessly and gradually stabilized the situation.

With everyone's valiant resistance, the men in black were gradually overwhelmed and began to scatter and flee. After the battle, everyone was exhausted. Xiao Yanzi let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from her brow. Her black night clothes were now covered in dust and blood, and a few strands of hair clung to her cheeks, but her eyes couldn't hide the excitement and curiosity in them. "Hongzhou, thank you so much this time," she said gratefully.

Hongzhou waved his hand with a smile, "What are you talking about? We're friends, it's only right that we help each other." His smile remained carefree, but a hint of melancholy flashed in his eyes.

Fucha Fuheng stepped forward, his expression grave: "Your Majesty, although we have repelled these men in black, we have not yet figured out the purpose of these mysterious goods."

Little Swallow nodded slightly, turned to look at the carriage, and said, "Let's go take another look at those parts." The three of them returned to the carriage and carefully examined the strange metal parts. These parts were of various shapes and had strange symbols engraved on their surfaces, which were neither words nor writing, exuding a mysterious aura.

“These symbols… I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before.” Little Swallow frowned, trying hard to recall, her eyes full of doubt. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “That’s right, on the ancient books in the library! I saw similar symbols before, and they seemed to be related to some ancient mechanical art.”

Hongzhou and Fucha Fuheng exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. "Mechanical arts? Could these parts be used to create some kind of mechanism?" Hongzhou asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

“Very likely,” Xiao Yanzi said, picking up a part and examining it carefully. “We need to bring these parts back to the palace as soon as possible and find someone knowledgeable in mechanical arts to study them.”

So, carrying the mysterious goods, the group hurriedly returned to the capital. Night fell, and the Forbidden City was shrouded in tranquility, except for the brightly lit Imperial Study. Hongli, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat anxiously at his desk. Upon seeing Xiao Yanzi and the others enter, he immediately stood up.

"Empress, you're finally back. How are you?" Hongli's voice was tinged with urgency. His eyes swept over Xiao Yanzi, and he only breathed a slight sigh of relief after confirming that she was safe and sound.

Xiao Yanzi recounted the events in detail, then placed the metal parts on the table. Hongli looked at the parts, his brow furrowed: "Mechanical arts? What secrets are hidden behind this?"

Just then, Su Peisheng hurried in, holding a secret letter in his hand: "Your Majesty, this was just delivered to the palace gate, and it was specifically addressed to you."

Hongli took the secret letter and quickly began to read it. As he read, his expression grew increasingly grave. "This..." he murmured to himself, his eyes filled with shock.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Little Swallow asked anxiously, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

Hongli handed the secret letter to Xiaoyanzi, saying, "Read it yourself."

Little Swallow took the secret letter, which read: "To find out the truth about the mysterious goods, meet me at the dilapidated temple in the western suburbs at noon tomorrow. Do not bring too many people, or you will bear the consequences." After reading the letter, Little Swallow's face turned very pale. "Who sent this? Why do they want us to go to the dilapidated temple in the western suburbs? Could it be a trap?" she asked in a series of questions, her eyes full of worry.

Hongzhou frowned. "Whether it's a trap or not, we can't just sit here and wait to die. Maybe if we go, we can uncover the secret behind it."

Fucha Fuheng nodded in agreement: "I think Prince Hongzhou is right. We can send people to investigate secretly first, and then make a plan."

Hongli pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, let's do it that way. However, everyone must be careful and not let their guard down." His eyes revealed determination and caution, as if he were prepared to deal with anything.

The next day, sunlight streamed through the streets and alleys of the capital, seemingly peaceful, yet a tense atmosphere permeated the Forbidden City. As noon approached, Xiao Yanzi, Hongli, Hongzhou, and Fucha Fuheng, dressed in plain clothes and accompanied by a few guards, quietly left the city, heading towards the dilapidated temple in the western suburbs. Along the way, their expressions were solemn; no one spoke, only the sound of horses' hooves echoing on the silent road, as if pounding on their tense nerves.

Upon arriving at the dilapidated temple, they found the doors tightly shut and the surroundings deathly silent. Hongli raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his eyes warily scanning the surroundings. "Everyone be careful, there might be an ambush here," he said in a low, powerful voice.

Little Swallow took a deep breath, stepped forward, and pushed open the temple door. With a creak, the door slowly opened, and a musty smell wafted out.